A pilot flying an small aircraft on a sightseeing tour along the hudson river area between ewr and l...

Attributes
ACN	399513
Time
Date	199804
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : lga
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 900 msl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 500 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	399513
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 200 vertical : 200
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I was in contact with ewr tower, on a hudson river tour. I had contacted ewr tower at 1400 ft and, to the best of my recollection, had not been told to maintain 1400 ft, but rather to cross the threshold of runway 4 at 1400 ft. Tower had been informed of the route of the flight. Anyhow, I descended to 900 ft between ewr and the statue, turned, and headed north along east bank of river. Ewr then handed me off to lga. Immediately thereafter, I saw a helicopter proceeding south along the east bank of the hudson. It was just below my altitude and perhaps a bit to the east. I saw it 5-10 seconds before closest approach, and immediately went to full throttle and a rapid climb. Within a few seconds after that, I heard an exclamation 'wow' or 'whew' which I interpreted as being from the helicopter. Another 5-10 seconds later, my radios were overloaded by the transmitters on the world trade center, and I lost (or apparently lost) radio contact. I was at about 1200 ft at the time, and decided to proceed at 1400 ft. I regained radio contact about 1 min later and noticed no comments from ATC. (Though I might have missed one because I'd turned the volume low to make the interference less annoying. Volume came up about 1 min later.) normal flight after that. Contributing factors: some modest distraction on my part, pointing out landmarks. I suspect that the helicopter was just coming out of the region of radio interference, and was (or had been) out of contact. Helicopter was a bit too far east. It's a bad region, where the orderly traffic flow up and down the river merges with a free-for-all in the harbor. Distraction of a handoff/frequency change. Afterwards, I was rather uncomfortable to be chugging down the middle of the new york class B area -- out of radio contact, at an altitude of my own choosing, without informing ATC. Other aircraft was a small helicopter, probably 2 or 4 seats.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PLT FLYING AN SMA ON A SIGHTSEEING TOUR ALONG THE HUDSON RIVER AREA BTWN EWR AND LGA HAS AN NMAC WITH A HELI GOING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.

Narrative: I WAS IN CONTACT WITH EWR TWR, ON A HUDSON RIVER TOUR. I HAD CONTACTED EWR TWR AT 1400 FT AND, TO THE BEST OF MY RECOLLECTION, HAD NOT BEEN TOLD TO MAINTAIN 1400 FT, BUT RATHER TO CROSS THE THRESHOLD OF RWY 4 AT 1400 FT. TWR HAD BEEN INFORMED OF THE RTE OF THE FLT. ANYHOW, I DSNDED TO 900 FT BTWN EWR AND THE STATUE, TURNED, AND HEADED N ALONG E BANK OF RIVER. EWR THEN HANDED ME OFF TO LGA. IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER, I SAW A HELI PROCEEDING S ALONG THE E BANK OF THE HUDSON. IT WAS JUST BELOW MY ALT AND PERHAPS A BIT TO THE E. I SAW IT 5-10 SECONDS BEFORE CLOSEST APCH, AND IMMEDIATELY WENT TO FULL THROTTLE AND A RAPID CLB. WITHIN A FEW SECONDS AFTER THAT, I HEARD AN EXCLAMATION 'WOW' OR 'WHEW' WHICH I INTERPED AS BEING FROM THE HELI. ANOTHER 5-10 SECONDS LATER, MY RADIOS WERE OVERLOADED BY THE XMITTERS ON THE WORLD TRADE CTR, AND I LOST (OR APPARENTLY LOST) RADIO CONTACT. I WAS AT ABOUT 1200 FT AT THE TIME, AND DECIDED TO PROCEED AT 1400 FT. I REGAINED RADIO CONTACT ABOUT 1 MIN LATER AND NOTICED NO COMMENTS FROM ATC. (THOUGH I MIGHT HAVE MISSED ONE BECAUSE I'D TURNED THE VOLUME LOW TO MAKE THE INTERFERENCE LESS ANNOYING. VOLUME CAME UP ABOUT 1 MIN LATER.) NORMAL FLT AFTER THAT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: SOME MODEST DISTR ON MY PART, POINTING OUT LANDMARKS. I SUSPECT THAT THE HELI WAS JUST COMING OUT OF THE REGION OF RADIO INTERFERENCE, AND WAS (OR HAD BEEN) OUT OF CONTACT. HELI WAS A BIT TOO FAR E. IT'S A BAD REGION, WHERE THE ORDERLY TFC FLOW UP AND DOWN THE RIVER MERGES WITH A FREE-FOR-ALL IN THE HARBOR. DISTR OF A HDOF/FREQ CHANGE. AFTERWARDS, I WAS RATHER UNCOMFORTABLE TO BE CHUGGING DOWN THE MIDDLE OF THE NEW YORK CLASS B AREA -- OUT OF RADIO CONTACT, AT AN ALT OF MY OWN CHOOSING, WITHOUT INFORMING ATC. OTHER ACFT WAS A SMALL HELI, PROBABLY 2 OR 4 SEATS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

A pilot flying an small aircraft on a sightseeing tour along the hudson river area between ewr and lga has an near midair collision with a helicopter going the opposite direction.